Spring Fishing Report

After a winter that never was, the spring fishing season is off to a great start thanks to an exceptional run of weather the last few weeks. Water temps are clocking in around 70 degrees which is more typical of late April rather than late March. Spring has certainly arrived early and I expect the rest of 2012 to be one of the best we’ve seen around Winyah Bay and Cape Romain in many years. 

Overall the inshore fishing has been exceptional this spring! Although we’ve had a few days that seem to baffle even the most experienced fishermen (which is often the case during the winter/spring transition), we certainly can't complain about the beautiful weather and early exit of Winter. Redfish have been finicky at times - here one day/gone the next, and catching them on flies and artificial baits has been challenging. When redfish are in this spring transition period, I always like to bring along a few blue crabs which can be quartered and fished on a 4/0 circle hook on a carolina rig or even a 1/4oz jig head.
 



 
Flounder are beginning to carpet the shallow creeks and we’ve caught a good many keeper size flounder in Murrells Inlet and Georgetown. This is a good sign that the new size limits are paying off so we should have a great year for flounder.


Trout have also been a bit of a surprise the last few weeks, lots of 2-4lb fish are being caught in their typical springtime spawning grounds in Winyah Bay and North Inlet. This is one of my favorite times of year to throw top water plugs which is the most productive way to target larger sea trout. Another effective way to catch larger trout is fishing with finger mullet under a popping cork, or working a 5in jerk shad in a flutter or weightless hook.


With some excellent tailing tides this month, I anticipate the redfish to settle back into their warm weather patterns and begin swarming the flooded grass flats. 

If you plan visiting the Myrtle Beach or Pawleys Island area, I hope you’ll decide to join myself or Capt. Richard for some very exciting sight fishing on fly or spin tackle. 
 

Solid Trout and Redfish Action: Winyah Bay, Georgetown SC

We've been blessed with a relatively mild December and as a result, the redfish and trout bite has been as good as it gets! The best trip we've had this month was with Tommy Griggs and Bill Lainey from my hometown of Cheraw SC. These two long time friends had a very memorable day fishing out of Georgetown SC, catching over 25 redfish in the am and 30+ trout later that day. Thanks to a weak but slow moving cold front, the air temps were a comfortable 60 degrees and the skies stayed overcast most of the day which always seems to trigger a solid inshore bite.
The trout preferred the brighter color grubs, particularly the Saltwater Assassin "Chicken on a Chain" with a Chartreuse 1/4oz Jig Head, and the bite really turned on at the top of the falling tide. Although many of the trout were on the small side, it was great to see good numbers of them. The redfish wernt as picky and were basically eating anything from Gulp's Ghost Shrimp to Watermelon Zoom Fluke. 
I cant wait to get back on the water with Bill and Tommy... these boys are great company and excellent anglers!

 

Cast-N-Blast: Marsh Hens and Speckled Trout

Thanksgiving in the lowcountry of South Carolina offers outdoorsmen plenty of options to get out and enjoy our natural resources with friends and family. Everything really comes together this time of year as the fish are biting, the rutt is on, ducks are flying, and fresh local oysters are hitting the steamer on a regular basis. I couldn't think of any better way to enjoy the outdoors, than going on a family Cast-n-Blast... Lowcountry Style! Marsh Hens are plentiful in our area and just like all Lowcountry traditions - Marsh Hen hunts are a hell of a lot of fun, especially when topped off with a handful of Speckled Trout at the end of the day.

This was a special trip for my brother and I since were able to take our uncle and cousin on their first Marsh Hen hunt. My uncle Eric, is an avid outdoorsman and is the best woodsman that I know. He introduced me to bass fishing, deer and turkey hunting at a very young age and I credit him for teaching me everything I know about woodsmanship, and how to respect and enjoy the outdoors. Needless to say, we shared some great laughs on their first Cast-N-Blast and there were plenty of birds and trout for the grill that night.

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